I have been disappointed, lately, with the lack of good transgender novels to read. I will admit that I am kind of fussy about what I like to read. I like character-driven stories. Not magical, or gender-swapping types, but more down-to-earth things; like plotlines which show how we cope with the intricacies of life. The struggles to fit in; not necessarily in dramatic movie-of-the-week ways, but how to fit in with "normal" society and be whole. I like mysteries and thriller elements, too. Tight writing that brings the thoughts and emotions being felt by the people inside the story to life for the person reading about them.
I like Tanya Allan's novels (the two Candy Club novels The Hard Way, Every Little Girl's Dream (The Jenny Adams Story Book 1), and Shit Happens--And So Do Miracles), and Daring Diane's Drew Leighton/Lee Corcoran series (plus her one-offs, like Kappa Delta Girls and By Your Side, Waiting). I also loved Karin Bishops' two Port novels (Port of Departure and Port of Arrival) and Fashion Class. Also, to a lesser extent, A Necessary Fiction. And I loved Paradox's Prom Changed Everything--even though the first two chapters were hard to get through (flashback triggers from the kidnapping and rape scenes...and the bullying).
They all seem to me to be "old style" in the story was laid out; thoughtful, tightly plotted, and direct, rather than trendy, meandering, or melodramatic.
I'd like to more like them, please.
Well...that's my wish list.
charlie
Comments
Favorite novels....
Don’t forget Snowfalls Frills and The Stations Late Night Princess. I too would like more of these kind of novels.
BAK 0.25tspgirl
Oh, yeah! I forgot about that one.
Oh, yeah! I forgot about that one. And I just finished reading it again (for the sixth time!).
I must add, there have been a lot of stories that I've read here and have neglected to mention (foggy memory, I guess).
charlie.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/missing-without-a-trace-cha...
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/832524
Plug my own stories
all Kindle books on Amazon...the Wildcats; Collected; Copy,Cure; Taylor; Jessica Jade.
Wildcats, too!
Wildcats, too! :)
charlie
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/missing-without-a-trace-cha...
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/832524
Check out
Check out SamanthaMD's stories here. Most have well drawn characters, plausible plot lines and generally no magic or fantastic machines.
You may have forgotten this but
On the Road--Again (4 books) by Karin Bishop is outstanding and is also on Kindle. Sarah Carrera is also excellent.
Heather O'Malley's...
Transitioning Home would seem to fit your description, if I'm remembering it right.
Eric
It sounds like we like the same books.
Pretty much every book you listed is one I've read multiple times. You rattled off my favorite authors. So I'm going to go through my list and pick out some stuff I like. Based on what you like I'm guessing that you will thoroughly like at least a third of these titles. Some day I will get this into a blog, along with links and story descriptions. Real soon now. Note that in addition to what you listed, I've also grown to like some military fiction thanks to many of the authors here at BCTS.
To all of my favorite authors on BCTS: If you're not listed here, this doesn't mean I don't like your stories. I tried to pick out ones that were closer to what was asked for here.
https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4036441/Silently-Watches
Silently Watches: Princess of the Blacks - A 4 volume series about Jen Black (a female Harry Potter fan fic)
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book-page/55308/snowfall
Alicia Snowfall: The Chrysalis Project; The Lyssa Kordenay Missions (in addition to what has already been posted)
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/3576/accidental-magic
Allystra: Accidental Magic
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Fey-Denise-Anesidora-Trask-ebook...
Anesidoras Urn: The Last of the Fey
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book-page/66608/dawn-natelle
Dawn Natalie: A Second Chance; Interesting Times; River
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/35158/elsbeth
Elsbeth: Freyja’s Daughters, Harry Potter – Season of Change, The Lost Queen
(Note: I so, SO recommend The Lost Queen. So many of us readers were chatting behind Elsbeth's back as she wrote it, speculating on where it was sit, what would come next, etc. I also high recommend Harry Potter - Season of Change)
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/21001/enemyoffun
https://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Potter/e/B0778KTX6C/ref=dp_by...
Enemyoffun: Are You A Good Witch?, Burning Bright; For The Fairest (Amazon); Hello My Name Is…; It’s Just A Skirt; It’s Just A Twin Thing; Just Roll With It (Amazon); Season Of The Witch (Amazon); Spectacular; A Starlight Summer, Wayward; Welcome to Whisper Pines
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book-page/76700/fallen-leaf
Fallen Leaf: She’s a B… Witch; Time Twisted Twins
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book-page/56230/fayanora
Fayanora: The Many Faces of Adira Potter (female Harry Potter fan fic)
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/15082/julie-o
Julie O: (almost everything)
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/12701/lilith-langtree
Lilith Langtree: Either Do it Right or Don’t Do it at All
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/13663/maddy-bell
Maddy Bell: Gaby (about 30 volumes at this point, including the stuff on Amazon)
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/16380/melanie-brown
https://www.amazon.com/Im-Band-Melanie-Brown-ebook/dp/B01LZX...
Melanie Brown: I'm With the Band
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book-page/44537/nagrij
Nagrij: Room in Hell; Leases in Hell
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book-page/60540/nuuan
Nuuan: Coyote; Kelly’s Story A Whateley Tale; Necessity is the Mother of Invention; Project: Super Soldier
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/16738/penny-lane
Penny Lane: Somewhere Else Entirely; What Milsy Did
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/15367/persephone
Persephone: Cassandra
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book-page/56282/qmodo
QModo: The Bliss
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book-page/64559/rebecca-jane
Rebecca Jane: Better Than The Alternative
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/24893/samantha-michelle-...
Samantha MD: County Sheriff; Hot and Steamy
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/51499/shiraz-stories
Shiraz: Tamara's Tales; Unaccounted Gains
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/39955/sleethr
Sleethr: She of the Jade Skirt; Whisper
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/45724/stefb
StefB (S. E. Bell): Saved By A Goddess (and about 4 additional books)
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/14459/t-d-aldoennetti-pr...
T. D. Aldoennetti: Air Force Sweetheart; Duty Calls
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/14142/wanda-cunningham
https://www.amazon.com/Kelly-Girl-Wanda-Cunningham-ebook/dp/...
Wanda Cunningham: Kelly Girl
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book-page/49042/wolfjess7
https://www.amazon.com/By-Jessie-Wolf/e/B08THSV6D4/ref=dp_by...
WolfJess7: Death Dealer’s Saga, Embracing Justice, Flight of the Claymore, Interview With A Lolita, Racing Angels, Speed Demons
Not a novel person
I clicked on your blog even though I do not read or write TG novels, so I have none to recommend to you.
I write short stories, so perhaps you have not read anything of mine, but I still consider that my stories are character driven. I suppose that the challenge in short fiction is to let minimal description and dialog paint enough of a picture for you to find the people real, even though you may not understand them - who really does. But that (as I have learned) is "tight writing".
Being brief means that I rarely dwell on "the intricacies of life" or what can be the repetitious "struggles to fit in" but sometimes that allows for more plot than some more substantial descriptive prose.
But I am aware that there is a call for novel length material, so next week Doppler Press will be releasing the first of a collection of my short stories including new material not published before.
My collections will be over 60,000 words so instead of reading chapters you can read full stories, one after the other!
More stories avoid violence, magic, gender swapping or fantastical devices and many have mystery or thriller elements.
I hope that you might consider shorter fiction as a viable alternative.
Maryanne
I do read short fiction
I do read short fiction--mostly here on Big Closet. But I really like to get into novel-length stories so that I can think and ruminate on the insides of the character's heads and what makes them tick and how they formulate the ways they find to cope with their situations. And, of course, there is the incentive of finding some insight or knowledge, or tactic ond/or defense, that I haven't thought of myself as I've battle along the ragged pathways of my own life.
charlie.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/missing-without-a-trace-cha...
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/832524